10 great geek gifts on a budget

Minecraft Foam Pickaxe

Christmastime often raises that eternal question: what do you buy for the person who has one of everything? This usually refers to the geeky types who are in love with $1000 phones, MacBook Pros and bank-breaking home cinema systems. How do you shop for someone like that on a budget of about $20?

First things first — go online. The following gifts all come from online stores, and you are unlikely to find their equal at your local Kmart or Australian National Geographic store. Next, think outside the square: your friend may love Star Trek, but this doesn't mean you have to buy them every season of the show on Blu-ray to keep them happy, when an adorable Spock plush doll will do.

And don't forget: if you're shopping online, keep in mind that items bought from overseas will take a week or two to arrive, so start shopping early this year.

Is your special someone a registered chartered accountant by day and a dusty Minecraft engineer by night? It's better than that fiendish Warcraft addiction they've only just shaken off, we suppose.

ThinkGeek has this awesome foam pixel art Pickaxe for US$19.95 plus postage, so that you may entice this friend outside for a little vitamin D every once in a while.

iPlunge

Standing your iPhone up for watching movies is a pleasure that can't be understated, as is not listening to your significant other banging on about how wonderful their iPhone is. Silence is yours for AU$11.95 plus postage from Aussie vendor Neat Geek.

Sci-fi plushies

you don't need to support the sci-fi habits of your partner in order to find these plush toys achingly adorable. Think Geek stocks toys from Star Trek and Star Wars, with the latter asking a few dollars extra — as they should, being better movies and all.

iPhone 4 Retro Controller Cover

iPhone cases are a dime a dozen, but there is something about an old Nintendo controller on the back of the iPhone that really appeals to us. There's also something about the manufacturer of this product getting the name of the iPhone wrong that appeals to us even more.

Drum Stixx

Unleash your inner Dave Grohl without forking out for a full kit of drums. These AA battery-powered drum sticks will have you thinking you can play the drums in no time. Geekify has these in stock at the time of writing for AU$29.95.

Lens-a-cino

The most expensive gift on the list, the Lens-a-cino will look great on the desk of any weekend photographer, guaranteed to create conversation for at least 15 minutes on the first day back to work in the new year. Its AU$44.95 asking price should restrict this to geeks who you actually like to spend time with.

Ring Thing

Male jewellery is a hotly debated field of social acceptance, and, if your geek leans towards the side of thick-chained necklaces and leather cuffs, then the Ring Thing could be for them. AU$9.95 buys you a pretty drab fashion accessory, but the inclusion of a bottle opener could make it worth your while.

Game of Thrones figures

Everyone's favourite TV show now comes in the most adorable little packages! Choose from Ned Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Khal Drogo, Daenerys Targaryen, a White Walker and The Hound. Hilariously, they've even bothered to make Tyrion a little bit smaller than the rest.